Individuals and data communication devices often need to communicate very short data messages to another respective party or data communication device. Unfortunately, in today's telecommunication environment, there is generally no cost effective method available for communicating such data messages from one individual or data communication device to another. For example, to pass such a data message over an existing analog telephone line, a connection must be made between two endpoints in order for a communication session to be established and then, some sort of signaling method employing modems or touch tones might be utilized to communicate the data message. Depending on the location of the endpoints, the telecommunication companies which provide the necessary connection may apply local connection charges and long distance charges for the communication session. In some cases, certain telecommunication companies charge higher rates for the first minute of use than for subsequent minutes of use and may round charges upward to the next minute increment, thereby increasing the cost associated with sending a very short data message. As alternatives to using analog lines with modems or touch tones, ISDN D-channel messaging or dedicated lines might be employed to communicate such data messages. Unfortunately, both of these alternatives are often cost prohibitive and may not be available in many locations, thereby rendering their usage impractical.
In addition to the general failure of today's telecommunication environment to provide a cost effective method for communicating very short data messages, the telecommunication environment has also failed to provide a fast method of communicating short data messages utilizing analog telephone lines and inexpensive communication devices or services. This failure to provide a fast communication method for short data messages can be of great consequence to owners of buildings and homes who protect their property with fire and/or burglar alarm systems which are capable of contacting fire and/or police departments in the event that a fire and/or unauthorized entry occurs to their building or home. Such fire and/or burglar alarm systems typically incorporate a controller which detects a fire and/or unauthorized entry by monitoring data from sensors strategically positioned about a building or home and which subsequently establishes a communication session with a fire and/or police department (or, with an alarm monitoring service) to signal the presence of a fire or an intruder. In most cases, the controller establishes the communication session utilizing analog telephone lines and a modem, or similar communication device, and then communicates an appropriate signal (i.e., indicating the presence of a fire or of a burglar), via the modem or communication device, to a receiving modem, or similar communication device located at the fire and/or police department (or, at the monitoring service provider's site). The establishment of such a communication session can require up to thirty (30) seconds for initialization alone. In the meantime, precious property may be destroyed by fire or stolen by a burglar.
There is, therefore, a need in the telecommunication industry for a fast, cost effective method of communicating a short data message between parties or communication devices, and which can solve other related and unrelated problems that become apparent upon reading and understanding this specification.